Apr 10, 2022; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) walks off the court injured during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic left the team’s regular-season finale with a calf injury and now Dallas might have to start the playoffs without him.
The Dallas Mavericks were playing their 82nd and final game of the regular season with some positioning for the NBA Playoffs on the line. As such, head coach Jason Kidd had his superstar guard, Luka Doncic, out on the floor in the late stages of the game to try and secure the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference.
That’s when disaster struck.
In the waning moments of the game when some would’ve considered it a surefire win for Dallas, Doncic landed awkwardly in traffic and, as a result, left the game and was taken back to the locker room. It was later revealed that he suffered a calf strain and could potentially miss time in the postseason. Fans, of course, were hoping that would not be the case.
Unfortunately, that seems to be the reality. On Thursday, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported that Doncic is expected to be out for the Mavericks’ Game 1 against the Utah Jazz on Saturday.
Luka Doncic injury update: Mavericks star ‘expected’ to be out Game 1 vs. Jazz
It’s not reinventing the wheel to say that Doncic not being on the floor for the Mavericks in a playoff series at any point would be devastating. Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie have proven themselves to be reliable options, but no one can replace what Doncic brings to this team, particularly on offense with his scoring and playmaking.
There is not a word on Doncic’s status beyond Game 1 at this point but not having him for that matchup would certainly put Dallas in danger of immediately losing home-court advantage in the series against Utah.
Without question, the injury status of Doncic will be a primary focus of the series throughout.